Twinning with Tonga : the experiences of Tongan stakeholders with a long-term partnership with regional Victoria, Australia

Twinning programs in health have gained increased recognition as a WHO preferred strategy for providing a sustainable strategy for enhancing the delivery of best practice healthcare globally. The Tonga Twinning Program (TTP), represents a longstanding relationship of some twenty-five years between The Ministry of Health in Tonga and St John of God Hospital, Ballarat, Australia and provides a compelling example of what can be achieved. This article presents the findings from a longitudinal exploration of the experiences and perceptions of the TTP through the voices of those key-stakeholders situated in Tonga who have engaged with the program. Informed by the tenets of hermeneutic phenomenology, a modified thematic analysis highlighted two major themes, ‘A shared mission’ and ‘The outcomes are more than the tangibles’, which supported by a series of sub-themes, identify the core components of the experience of the TTP. This study suggests that the TTP has supported a collective sense of bringing the very best available knowledge and skills to the people of Tonga and has fostered a genuine and open dialogue between partners as a mechanism for change that goes well beyond simply a capacity to replicate skills and instead has establish a genuine reciprocity akin to being a family

Volatile chemical emissions from fragranced baby products

Fragranced consumer products have been associated with adverse effects on human health. Babies are exposed to a variety of fragranced consumer products, which can emit numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), some considered potentially hazardous. However, fragranced baby products are exempt from disclosure of all ingredients. Consequently, parents and the public have little information on product emissions. This study investigates VOCs emitted from a range of fragranced baby products, including baby hair shampoos, body washes, lotions, creams, ointments, oils, hair sprays, and fragrance. The products were analysed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) headspace analysis. Of the 42 baby products tested, 21 products made claims of green, organic, or all-natural. Results of the analysis found 684 VOCs emitted collectively from the 42 products, representing 228 different VOCs. Of these 684 VOCs, 207 are classified as potentially hazardous under federal regulations, representing 43 different VOCs. The most common VOCs emitted were limonene, acetaldehyde, ethanol, alpha-pinene, linalool, beta-myrcene, acetone, and beta-pinene. A comparison between ingredients emitted and ingredients listed reveals that only 5% of the 684 VOCs, including 12% of 207 potentially hazardous VOCs, were listed on the product label, safety data sheet, or website. More than 95% of both green and regular products emitted one or more potentially hazardous VOCs. Further, emissions of the most prevalent VOCs from green, organic, or all-natural products were not significantly different from regular products. Results from this study can help improve public awareness about emissions from baby products, with the aim to reduce pollutant exposure and potential adverse effects on babies

Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges :Implications for classroom pedagogies

As part of a project exploring various aspects of teachers’ choice and use of challenging mathematics tasks, we sought some responses from students on their preferences for the difficulty of tasks on which they might work and also on the ways of working. Despite the common finding that teachers are reluctant to pose challenges to their students for fear of adverse reactions, many students reported that they prefer tasks to be somewhat challenging and many prefer to work on the tasks before having the process explained by the teacher. An important finding was the diversity of student preferences. There are implications for the information that educators offer to teachers on structuring their lessons

Junior secondary students\u27 perceptions of influences on their engagement with schooling

Various explanations and solutions have been proposed over the last decade in relation to the implications of students’ apparent lack of engagement with middle years schooling in Australia. In this article we report on responses to a questionnaire by 333 Year 8 students (aged about 13, the second year of high school) on perceptions of factors relating to their engagement with the academic curriculum. We found that while the majority of students reported a strong sense of the importance of, and opportunities in, schooling, and saw English, mathematics and science connected to those opportunities, this orientation was not matched by corresponding positive engagement with these same subjects. We also found that there was diversity in the responses of students, and recommend that schools take steps to identify individual students’ perceptions of factors influencing their engagement, and where appropriate, address those perceptions

Sedimentology of the late Neoproterozoic Patsy Springs Canyon, Flinders Ranges, South Australia

© 2003 Kate MornaneThe Neoproterozoic Patsy Springs Canyon is located within the northern portion of the Adelaide Geosyncline, South Australia. The sedimentary structures found within the canyon fill are consistent with a deep marine origin, and include syn-sedimentary marine phosphates, marine cements, sandstones with partial Bouma sequences, abundant mudstones and various mass flow deposit types (including grain flows, debris flows and slumps). Structures indicative of tidal activity (previously interpreted to be of shallow water origin) are interspersed with Bouma sequences and mass flow deposits and are here interpreted as having been produced by deep-water tidal bottom currents. Rare structures resembling hummocky cross stratification are here interpreted as similarly being of deep-water origin. This deep water interpretation for the canyon fill contradicts previous shallow water models and alleviates the need for extraordinary changes in base level, required by such shallow water models. A deep-water submarine origin for the canyon is also more consistent with the lack of canyon-synchronous basin-wide unconformity and is more consistent with an open-ocean palaeogeography. This study has resolved some of the ambiguity surrounding the origin of the Wonoka canyons by providing sedimentological evidence to suggest that they may in fact represent ancient submarine canyons

Forced labor, resistance and memory: The deuxième portion in the French Soudan, 1926–1950

This dissertation analyzes the history of the deuxième portion de la contingent militaire—a quasi-military labor service—in the French Soudan, between 1926 and 1950. This dissertation argues that men in the deuxième portion drew from and adapted local and colonial ideologies of labor relations and duty to contest the conditions under which they worked. Men in the deuxième portion critiqued not only the hard physical conditions of the working environment but also the neglect of culturally based social obligations between workers and employers. In considering this unique form of labor, this dissertation challenges historians\u27 understandings of labor relations in the period following the abolition of slavery and through to the end of the colonial era. The dissertation emphasizes the continuing salience of dependent relationships, including slavery, as cultural frameworks that informed individuals\u27 understandings of the meanings of work and obligation. African workers, even within the context of forced labor, interacted with each other and with colonial officials with an expectation that reciprocity is inherent in all forms of labor exchange. These workers manipulated precolonial and contemporary conceptions of slavery, freedom, patron-client obligations and civic duty to interpret and to critique the deuxième portion. The dissertation further considers the historical memory of work in Mali. Drawing upon pre-colonial epics, colonial archival material and post-colonial labor practices, political commentary and oral history, the dissertation analyzes the changing ways Malians have interpreted the significance of the deuxième portion in the decades since it was abolished. The deuxième portion, though a transitional labor arrangement, had an enduring effect not only upon relationships between African employees and French employers, but also upon an evolving understanding of the relationship between the citizen and the state, an impact that continued in independent Mali. The arguments in this dissertation are based on 15 months of oral and archival research in West Africa

Forced labor, resistance and memory: The deuxième portion in the French Soudan, 1926–1950

This dissertation analyzes the history of the deuxième portion de la contingent militaire—a quasi-military labor service—in the French Soudan, between 1926 and 1950. This dissertation argues that men in the deuxième portion drew from and adapted local and colonial ideologies of labor relations and duty to contest the conditions under which they worked. Men in the deuxième portion critiqued not only the hard physical conditions of the working environment but also the neglect of culturally based social obligations between workers and employers. In considering this unique form of labor, this dissertation challenges historians\u27 understandings of labor relations in the period following the abolition of slavery and through to the end of the colonial era. The dissertation emphasizes the continuing salience of dependent relationships, including slavery, as cultural frameworks that informed individuals\u27 understandings of the meanings of work and obligation. African workers, even within the context of forced labor, interacted with each other and with colonial officials with an expectation that reciprocity is inherent in all forms of labor exchange. These workers manipulated precolonial and contemporary conceptions of slavery, freedom, patron-client obligations and civic duty to interpret and to critique the deuxième portion. The dissertation further considers the historical memory of work in Mali. Drawing upon pre-colonial epics, colonial archival material and post-colonial labor practices, political commentary and oral history, the dissertation analyzes the changing ways Malians have interpreted the significance of the deuxième portion in the decades since it was abolished. The deuxième portion, though a transitional labor arrangement, had an enduring effect not only upon relationships between African employees and French employers, but also upon an evolving understanding of the relationship between the citizen and the state, an impact that continued in independent Mali. The arguments in this dissertation are based on 15 months of oral and archival research in West Africa

Stories of resilience, aspirations and learning in adolescent students

The purpose of this thesis is to understand how students perceive their learning and the ways they connect their learning to their future goals and aspirations. The study approached each student with the intention of seeking insights into the factors that influenced their decision making, their ability to self-regulate, their opinions, motivations, self-concept and understandings of the world around them. The study is also concerned with resilience and how people cope with personal adversity. However, it also sought to understand resilience in an academic context and looked at how students cope when facing difficulties with their learning. It therefore investigates what factors, internal and external to the school, facilitate or inhibit learning in adolescent students. This research is part of a wider project titled Influences on Students’ Learning Goals and Their Capacity for Self-regulation and uses the abbreviated title Student Self-regulation Project. This project evolved from the knowledge that over a period of time there has been a decrease in school engagement and increase in alienation among middle school students. The present project focused on the students’ perspective on learning and took the form of ten case studies of Year 8 students from schools in regional Victoria, Australia. There were five students from a Catholic secondary college and five students from a government secondary college that participated in the study. Both schools had a history of student disengagement in the middle school years. The six males and four female students were perceived by their teachers as having a range of achievement levels and had experienced varying degrees of adversity. The students participated in ten semi-structured interviews over a period of nine months. These forty minute interviews included semi-structured questions, drawings and other creative activities that prompted discussion from the participants. Classroom observations and teacher interviews were also conducted to increase validity of the data collection. The instruments were designed to examine connections between the student, the family, the school and the community informing the perspectives on resilience underpinning the research and it was found that the students were self-aware and able to express themselves and their ideas in a range of ways that contributed to the triangulation of the data. It became apparent the students’ perceptions of learning are complex – learning may be affected by a range of factors (internal and external) and these can be different for each student and in each subject. It would also appear that students who have supportive relationships with family, community, teachers and peers may be more likely to have higher levels of achievement and more likely to develop mastery orientations. These students seem to be able to self-regulate on a consistent basis, have positive self-concepts and were inclined to develop positive future goals. It would seem that the teacher’s knowledge of a student’s individual needs may be the most influential factor in providing effective outcomes. The Year 8 students wanted to know that what they were learning was relevant to their future lives but limited opportunities to discuss career pathways and individual subjects contributed to disengagement in particular subjects. This project sought to add to the growing body of literature on adolescent resilience by investigating the beliefs of young people in an academic context. It also aimed to find whether middle school students were able to set goals and have the capacity to self-regulate their learning behaviours. By achieving deeper understanding into the belief systems of adolescent students it is hoped that teachers, parents and communities may develop further insight into improving educational opportunities

Stories of resilience, aspirations and learning in adolescent students

The purpose of this thesis is to understand how students perceive their learning and the ways they connect their learning to their future goals and aspirations. The study approached each student with the intention of seeking insights into the factors that influenced their decision making, their ability to self-regulate, their opinions, motivations, self-concept and understandings of the world around them. The study is also concerned with resilience and how people cope with personal adversity. However, it also sought to understand resilience in an academic context and looked at how students cope when facing difficulties with their learning. It therefore investigates what factors, internal and external to the school, facilitate or inhibit learning in adolescent students. This research is part of a wider project titled Influences on Students’ Learning Goals and Their Capacity for Self-regulation and uses the abbreviated title Student Self-regulation Project. This project evolved from the knowledge that over a period of time there has been a decrease in school engagement and increase in alienation among middle school students. The present project focused on the students’ perspective on learning and took the form of ten case studies of Year 8 students from schools in regional Victoria, Australia. There were five students from a Catholic secondary college and five students from a government secondary college that participated in the study. Both schools had a history of student disengagement in the middle school years. The six males and four female students were perceived by their teachers as having a range of achievement levels and had experienced varying degrees of adversity. The students participated in ten semi-structured interviews over a period of nine months. These forty minute interviews included semi-structured questions, drawings and other creative activities that prompted discussion from the participants. Classroom observations and teacher interviews were also conducted to increase validity of the data collection. The instruments were designed to examine connections between the student, the family, the school and the community informing the perspectives on resilience underpinning the research and it was found that the students were self-aware and able to express themselves and their ideas in a range of ways that contributed to the triangulation of the data. It became apparent the students’ perceptions of learning are complex – learning may be affected by a range of factors (internal and external) and these can be different for each student and in each subject. It would also appear that students who have supportive relationships with family, community, teachers and peers may be more likely to have higher levels of achievement and more likely to develop mastery orientations. These students seem to be able to self-regulate on a consistent basis, have positive self-concepts and were inclined to develop positive future goals. It would seem that the teacher’s knowledge of a student’s individual needs may be the most influential factor in providing effective outcomes. The Year 8 students wanted to know that what they were learning was relevant to their future lives but limited opportunities to discuss career pathways and individual subjects contributed to disengagement in particular subjects. This project sought to add to the growing body of literature on adolescent resilience by investigating the beliefs of young people in an academic context. It also aimed to find whether middle school students were able to set goals and have the capacity to self-regulate their learning behaviours. By achieving deeper understanding into the belief systems of adolescent students it is hoped that teachers, parents and communities may develop further insight into improving educational opportunities

Extraction and transport of metal ions and small organic com#163s using polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs)

The stability of polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) relative to other liquid membranes is amongst the major reasons for the recent rejuvenation of interest in carrier-mediated transport for selective separation and recovery of metal ions as well as numerous organic solutes. This is reflected by an increasing number of PIM investigations reported in the literature over the last two decades. Given the outstanding performance of PIMs compared to other types of liquid membranes particularly in terms of membrane lifetime, it has been predicted that practical industrial applications of PIMs will be realized in the near future. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current knowledge relevant to PIMs for the extraction and transport of various metal ions and small organic solutes. PIM studies reported to date are systematically summarised and outlined accordingly to the type of carriers used, i.e. basic, acidic and chelating, neutral or solvating, and macrocyclic and macromolecular. The paper reviews the various factors that control the transport rate, selectivity and stability of PIMs. The transport phenomena observed by various authors are related to the membrane characteristics, physicochemical properties of the target solutes as well as the chemistry of the aqueous solutions making up the source and receiving phases. The results from these studies reveal an intricate relationship between the above factors. Furthermore, while the interfacial transport mechanisms in PIMs are thought to be similar to those in supported liquid membranes (SLMs), the bulk diffusion mechanisms in PIMs governing their permeability and selectivity requires better understanding. This review also delineates two mathematical modeling approaches widely used in PIM literature: one uses a set of assumptions that allow the derivation of analytical solutions valid under steady state conditions only; the other takes into account the accumulation of the target species in the membrane during the initial transport state and therefore can also be applied under non-steady state conditions. The latter is essential when the interfacial complexation reaction kinetics is slow. It involves more complex mathematics and requires the application of numerical techniques. The studies included in this review highlight the potential of PIMs for various niche applications on a practical scale. The discussions provided, however, also emphasize the need for more fundamental research before any such practical applications of PIMs can be realised. This is specifically important for small organic compounds because to date scientific investigation involving the extraction and transport of these compounds remains limited. Transport mechanisms of small organic compounds are less well understood and are likely to be more complex than those observed with the transport of metal ions